"I want to work hard to adapt fast to the Premier League and play at Newcastle."

Riviere has been drafted in to plug a sizeable gap left by the departures of loan signings Loic Remy and Luuk de Jong and the out-of-contract Shola Ameobi, and he admits he had no hesitation in accepting Alan Pardew's offer.

He said: "When Newcastle phoned me, I said yes directly because Newcastle is a big club with many fans, with a big manager. I said yes directly.

"It was an easy decision, I made my choice quickly. When I was told Newcastle, I said yes directly."